ROANOKE TIMES
Copyright (c) 1997, Roanoke Times
DATE: Sunday, February 2, 1997 TAG: 9702040022
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: C-7 EDITION: METRO
COLUMN: HOCKEY
SOURCE: RALPH BERRIER JR.
The truth of the matter is Larry Moberg has not lost a hockey game in two months.
True, he's won only twice during that span, but in so doing he has proven himself to be the capable back-up goaltender the Roanoke Express had hoped he would be.
Two victories separated by 32 days may not be the best recipe for success for most goalies, but for Moberg it constitutes a two-game winning streak. And what wins they were.
A 4-3 victory over Raleigh salvaged in a 12-round shootout Dec.28 followed by a 5-0 shutout of a potent Knoxville club Wednesday have shown Moberg to be a worthy understudy to the esteemed Dave Gagnon. If Moberg continues to play well, he could be an important cog for the Express during an overloaded schedule the final two months of the season.
``A smart person knows with our February and March congested, Larry can help us out,'' said Frank Anzalone, the Express' coach.
While the Express has enjoyed fine back-to-back months (it posted a 13-4-0 combined record in December and January), the 28 games that await in February and March have raised concerns about wear and tear. If Moberg can give Gagnon a chance to rest, it certainly would benefit the Express come playoff time.
``Down the stretch, I think I can carry a little bit of the load,'' Moberg said. ``Hopefully, the guys have confidence in front of me and I can help the team.''
Certainly, Moberg's teammates must play well for him to enjoy a good night. They must let him see the puck and assist him in clearing rebounds.
They did that Wednesday. Many of Moberg's 41 saves were border-line spectacular, and when he needed help, Express players were around to sweep away the debris in front of the net.
At least one guy at the Roanoke Civic Center was impressed.
``He made some great saves,'' said Gagnon, who had played in 35 of Roanoke's 41 games through Thursday. ``He's got a tough role to play. He deserves some good things to happen.''
NOSE FOR THE PUCK: Express right wing Tim Christian certainly isn't the only guy in the ECHL to score a goal, and he isn't the only guy to get his nose broken. He might, though, be the only player to score a goal while getting his nose broken.
It happened Wednesday against Knoxville. Christian was stationed just in front of the Knoxville goal when he re-directed a shot into the net for the fifth goal of a 5-0 victory. At the same time, Christian took a stick in the schnoz from Knoxville's Mark Sakala and immediately tumbled to the ice.
At first glance, many observers thought Christian had deflected the puck with his face, which again would have placed him in elite company. After leaving behind a pool of blood on the ice, Christian got his nose set in the locker room and returned to action in the third period.
``It looks normal now,'' Christian said in the locker room later, beaming. ``You should've seen it before.''
Advised teammate Dave Stewart, he, too, of broken beak and purplish-encircled eyes: ``Be careful not to roll over when you're asleep. Sometimes I do that in the middle of the night and just ... ooooohhhhhhhh!''
ICE CHIPS: When he was called up Friday by Hamilton of the American Hockey League, center Ilya Dubkov had seven points in his past two games with the Express. With his two assists during Wednesday's 5-0 victory over Knoxville, Dubkov moved ahead of Jeff Jablonski for the team lead in assists with 33, even though Dubkov has played in only 27 games. ... After a mid-season lull, Roanoke's power play has returned to full force. The Express had scored on eight of its past 13 man-advantage opportunities through Thursday.
AROUND THE ECHL: The Louisville RiverFrogs must be the most dynamic team in the league - they can hop from the lowest lows to the highest highs. After opening the season with a league-record 14-game winless streak, Louisville had managed to move seven points out of first place in the North Division heading into Friday's games. The Frogs won seven consecutive games Jan.3-14 and went into the weekend having won nine of 11 games to move into fifth place. ...
Roanoke meets its first non-divisional foe since Dec.17 when it plays host to the Toledo Storm on Feb.8. Roanoke is 5-3-0 against teams outside the East.
LENGTH: Medium: 78 linesby CNB